1. Field of the Invention
This application is filed under 35 U.S.C. 371 and based on PCT/EP98/0178, filed Mar. 26, 1998.
This invention relates to a process for disinfecting articles at low temperatures using liquid microbicidal preparations.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The effectiveness of conventional chemical disinfectants is dependent not only on the contact time and concentration, but also to a large extent on the contact temperature. Studies in this field have been conducted inter alia by P. Gelinas et al. (see Journal of Food Production, Vol. 47, No. 11, pages 841-847 (1984)) and by N. Noda et al. (see J. Jap. Ass. Infect. Dis., Vol. 55, 355-366 (1981)). In many cases, it has also been found that the reduction in effectiveness at low temperatures cannot be reversed by higher concentrations of active substance even if this were acceptable from the toxicological point of view. Accordingly, many substances active as microbicides at room temperature are totally unsuitable as active substances for use at low temperatures. In general, only powerful oxidizing agents, such as hypochlorite and peracetic acid, can be used at temperatures of the order of 5xc2x0 C. However, these active substances are also unsuitable for many applications, for example for the disinfection of sensitive materials, on account of their corrosiveness. Accordingly, efforts have long been made to find active substances or combinations of active substances that are safe and effective without any harmful side effects for the purpose of disinfection at low temperatures, more especially at temperatures below freezing point.
The present invention represents a major improvement in this field.
The present invention relates to a process for disinfecting articles in which the articles are treated with an aqueous alcoholic salt solution at temperatures below 5xc2x0 C. In general, the treatment is even effective at temperatures of 0xc2x0 C. or lower, in most cases at temperatures below xe2x88x9210xc2x0 C. and even at temperatures below xe2x88x9250xc2x0 C. A particularly high degree of effectiveness is achieved if the salts are present in the disinfecting solution in such a quantity that the saturation limit is reached or exceed at the in-use temperature. Effective disinfection is achieved both with the metal salts of organic acids and with the metal salts of inorganic acids.
It is particularly worth mentioning that the process according to the invention is effective against not just a few, but also against a very broad spectrum of microorganisms or viruses at the in-use temperatures. In addition, the disinfection process according to the invention is extremely kind to materials and the alcoholic aqueous salt solutions used for disinfection retain their effectiveness even after long periods of storage.
The process according to the invention may be applied on the one hand to articles which, by their nature, have to be kept cold and which must not be heated to room temperature or beyond with their destination in mind. Examples include the disinfection of surfaces in cold rooms, cold stores and refrigerated trucks and the disinfection of special laboratory equipment, such as refrigerated centrifuges and freezers. However, the disinfection of deep-frozen or refrigerated foods also counts as a special field in this regard. The new disinfection process is also suitable for articles which, in order to prevent material damage, should not be brought into contact with conventional disinfectants at room temperature or higher temperatures. In their case, material damage can be suppressed to a considerable extent by the new process without any reduction in the effectiveness of disinfection by carrying out the disinfection process at low temperatures.
The new process is characterized by the simultaneous presence of lower alcohols and salts, which must be at least partly water-soluble, in the aqueous disinfection liquid. Although liquids with this composition have already been used for disinfection at normal temperature, cf. for example patent applications WO 93/16597, DE 42 21 743 and EP 79 579, the fact that articles can be disinfected with the compositions described therein at low temperatures, more particularly at low temperatures below 0xc2x0 C., has only just now been discovered. The fact that the microbicidal effect of aqueous alcoholic salt solutions does not weaken with decreasing temperature, but in some cases actually increases with decreasing temperature is extremely surprising in view of the dependence on temperature of other microbicidal agents.
The salts suitable for the process according to the invention should have a certain solubility in water which should amount to at least 0.1 g per liter and, more particularly, to more than 5 g per liter at 20xc2x0 C. Both metal salts of inorganic acids and metal salts or organic acids are particularly suitable, the salts of hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid being particularly suitable as the salts of inorganic acids. Some of these salts are also known in another context as Lewis acids. NaCl, but especially K3PO4, Na3PO4 and ZnCl2 are mentioned as outstanding representatives of these salts. Of the organic salts, the metal salts of carboxylic acids containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the acid molecule are particularly suitable. Both in the case of the inorganic metal salts and in the case of the organic metal salts, salts of the alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and zinc are particularly preferred. Mixtures of several salts may of course also be used in the disinfecting solutions.
The concentration of salt in the solutions is preferably from 0.1 to 5% by weight, expressed as water-free salts and based on the final disinfecting solution. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the salts are used in the disinfecting solutions in such a quantity that the saturation concentration is reached or even exceeded at the in-use temperature.
The alcohols used in the disinfecting solutions are primarily lower water-miscible alcohols, more particularly aliphatic monoalcohols, although it is also possible to use glycols and other liquid polyols and partial ethers thereof, for example ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, butoxy-ethanol and methoxybutanol. Readily volatile alcohols, more especially alcohols containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the molecule, are particularly preferred, ethanol and n-propanol being most particularly preferred. Instead of individual alcohols, mixtures of two or more alcohols may of course also be used. Relatively small quantities of aliphatic alcohols, which have only limited solubility in water, may also be used in admixture with water-miscible alcohols. The concentration of alcohols in the disinfecting solution should preferably be from about 40 to about 98% by weight, based on the disinfecting solution as a whole. Alcohol concentrations of about 60 to about 90% by weight and, more particularly, about 70 to about 80% by weight in the disinfecting solution are particularly preferred.
Particularly in cases where they are to be used for disinfection at or above room temperature, the aqueous alcoholic salt solutions used in accordance with the invention may also contain other microbicides or virucides which are known to be suitable for use at such temperatures. These other microbicides or virucides include in particular quaternary ammonium compounds, hydrogen peroxide and other peroxidic compounds, aldehydes, phenols, aromatic alcohols, such as phenoxy-ethanol, inorganic acids and active halogen compounds. These active substances are used in the usual concentrations. In general, there is no danger of their disrupting the effect of the process according to the invention at low temperatures.
In addition, the disinfecting solutions used in accordance with the invention may contain the auxiliaries and additives generally present in aqueous disinfecting solutions providing they do not impair the effect of the process in any way. Examples of such auxiliaries and additives are wetting agents, hydrotropes, surfactants, corrosion inhibitors, dyes and fragrances. The concentrations in which they used are determined by the desired effect.
The preparation of the disinfecting solution does not present any problems. In general, the salt is first dissolved in water in the quantity necessary for the required concentration, after which the necessary quantity of alcohol is mixed in. If appropriate for faster dissolution, the disinfecting solution may even be prepared at elevated temperatures. Other additives are generally added last to the solutions, although they may even be pre-dissolved in the initially purely aqueous solution or in the alcohol.
The treatment of the articles in the actual disinfection process is carried out, for example, by immersing the articles for a predetermined time in the cooled disinfecting bath or by applying the disinfecting solution to the cold articles, for example by spraying, brush-coating or by wiping the articles with an absorbent material impregnated with the disinfecting solution. The disinfecting solution may be applied to the articles both in pre-cooled form or, preferably, without cooling. The uncooled articles may also be treated with the disinfecting solution at around room temperature and then cooled with the adhering solution to the disinfection temperature over the contact time should this particular procedure appear appropriate for certain reasons, for example to prevent material damage. After disinfection, the disinfectant can be suitably removed from the articles. In many cases, however, there is no need to remove the disinfectant where residues of the disinfectant in or on the articles can be tolerated.